Reporter for The Age

Melbourne has a new record for the most number of days of more than 20 degrees in May.

Just on midday on Wednesday the temperature struck 20.7 degrees after climbing four degrees between 10am and 11.30am.

The temperature rose slightly earlier than forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology, which had expected the 20 degree milestone between 1pm and 2pm.

With a record now of 11 days of more than 20 degrees in May and counting, there is no sign that Melbourne’s warm spell will abate until at least June

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What's more, Melbourne's balmy weather has started later than any other string of days of more than 20 degrees in May on record. This run began on Mother's Day, on May 11.

The only year to come close to this late start of 20-plus days was in May 1904, when there was a string of eight days of more than 20 starting on May 7, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said.

"This has been a late one, there is nothing to compare it to," Mr Ryan said.

With 21 degrees forecast for Wednesday and 22 degrees for Thursday, Mr Ryan was confident that Melbourne would break the record set in 1972.

He said that although Wednesday had a cold start with 11 degrees at 6am, he expected Melbourne to reach its top temperature by 4pm

Mr Ryan said while there are some showers forecast for Thursday there are no cool winds expected in the coming days.

Melbourne is expected to have warmish days until at least May 27, although not all are forecast to be more than 20 degrees.

"There is no really strong cold outbreak in the forecast of this session. I think we will have to wait for the first week of June for our first cold burst. The first week of June is pretty reliable," Mr Ryan said.